Accessing, sharing critical crime information across the county

Published 2 November 2010

Yuma County, Arizona, deploys multi-agency, interoperable data-sharing solutions which allow first response, law enforcement, and public safety agencies in the county to access and share critical crime and safety information county wide

Public safety agencies throughout Yuma County, Arizona, have selected solutions from Troy, Michigan-based New World Systems to enhance data sharing and communication as part of the large Yuma Regional Communications System (YRCS) interoperability project. The YRCS has signed a contract to license New World’s Aegis Public Safety Solution on the Microsoft platform to connect the Yuma Police and Fire Department, Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Fire and Police Departments of San Luis, Somerton, Wellton, and Cocopah and Quechan Indian Tribes, enhancing access and sharing of critical crime and safety information county wide.

After completing the shared radio project, YRCS agencies agreed that the next step in achieving total interoperability was to select a completely integrated suite of public safety software solutions to replace old technology and multiple disparate systems. The YRCS Council, made up of representatives from the agencies and Yuma’s Information Technology Department, identified the combined needs of the agencies and conducted an exhaustive review of solutions and vendors. The YRCS Council was determined to find the best solution from the best vendor that would meet all the operational needs of the individual agencies and provide total data sharing capabilities. They also wanted to protect their investment by partnering with a company that continuously leads the market through investments in growing their solutions both now and in the future.

We were looking for a modern system developed on state-of-the-art technology and a company that has demonstrated continuous investments in R&D and future solution development so we always stay current,” said Greg Wilkinson, city manager. “Selecting the right vendor is critical.”

This project offered us an excellent opportunity to bring all agencies together to identify our combined public safety software needs,” said Laurie Neinast, director of IT. “When we evaluated New World, we found that they were very knowledgeable, not only of technology and software development, but of the law enforcement environment as a whole. Ultimately, we selected New World because they by far offered the best functionality for all of our agencies, have an excellent reputation for customer service, forward-thinking product vision and proven company stability.”

New World is providing the YRCS agencies with Aegis Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management, Mobile Computing, Corrections Management, and Field-Based Reporting software developed in-house using proven Microsoft technology, Windows Server ,and SQL Server. New World is also providing its revolutionary solution, Aegis Link, a Web-based interoperability solution to enable complete information sharing between